“Sigrunn said I must prepare. My Time is at hand and she said a beacon had been re-activated. Since this is what brought the peoples … my peoples here in the first place, that can only mean they will return to find … they will find me. In time. I will spend what time I have left in learning and developing all that Zelspar can give. Then, Zlemtec and I will leave to do what I was borne to do.”
The Queen and King exchanged looks of despair. Gulping back a sob, the Queen said, “I knew the day would come, eventually, when you would meet your destiny. I always thought there would be more time. If I could take this burden….” The Queen could not speak any further, as she fought back her grief; a battle she could not win.
Kaida slowly rose and stoically walked to the entryway, then turned. “I could not have asked for better parents than the both of you. Do not be sad, I now understand the nature of things. We are all borne for a purpose. I am fortunate that I now know what mine entails and I can plan and prepare for it, or at least be as prepared as time allows.” She summoned a small smile and began a new journey as she crossed over the threshold from the past to present.
A cyclone of thoughts whirled in Kaida’s mind. Who are these peoples that looked like me? Where did they come from? I only know they used a portal, or what they called ‘a gateway’ to get here. I’m … I’m borne of a peoples and who is my father, is he alive?
All the questions tortured her soul, needing to find the answers and yet: I have my family, my place and it is here with all those I love, she thought. Kaida shook her head as if she could clear her mind of the bombardment of unanswered questions.
Making her way to the training rooms, without a second thought she uttered, ‘lift’ and her feet left the ground. She descended onto the ledge outside the cave and entered to see her friends in feverish training, sharing knowledge of their Magic skills. Zelspar saw her, all at once aware of a change in her. He puffed out a mouthful of smoke, steeling himself for the questions to come and made his way to her.
“We could not wait, there is much to learn in a short amount of time. Are you ready?” he asked.
“First, Zelspar, I want to know what you can tell me of my peoples and any Visions you had about me; Sigrunn said to ask you. I must prepare for what comes, for what awaits me … for my future.”
“Kaida, I know you have questions but time is limited. We must use time wisely. You need more training and I must discover what lies hidden within you, to bring it out and help you hone your skills,” Zelspar stated firmly but with affection.
“You are right. Time is fleeting but that is why I need my answers now. I may not have the benefit of extensive training but I will have the benefit of your knowledge if you will share it with me now.”
He could not deny this warrior her needs. Her blue eyes were locked onto his and unflinching. In a wingspan of time Zelspar took quick inventory of the young woman in front of him. Her feet were planted firmly to the ground, shoulder width apart, her stance as rigid as a true arrow. Her hatchling days had sloughed away leaving the form of the warrior in front of him. An involuntary groan burned in his throat and he knew she must do what she had been borne to do.
“You are the Legend, our Kaida and your hatchling days are over. I will give you all I know and all I have seen.”
Zlemtec gazed over to find Kaida speaking to Zelspar and started to approach. His legs stopped abruptly as he noticed the exchange taking place. He did not know his heart could both leap and mourn at the same time. A fierceness now met his eyes as he took in Kaida’s being, having replaced the soul warming sunlight she normally beamed. He knew in his heart, grave challenges must surely be a breath away. He returned to the group, trying to concentrate but his sideways glances compromised his attempt.
“Let me start by saying this, I have spoken to Molakei and Flower Bird and they shared with me a dream you had which filled you with night terrors. They were concerned there were Dragons that wanted to harm you, for that was what you dreamed. I went to the Ancestors, to ask them to help me understand your dream. They gave me a Vision and this is what I saw.”
Zelspar’s eyes clouded as he drifted through the Vision. “I saw a different world, full of Golden Dragons, their scales glinting as a multitude of suns. A world of peace and happiness unlike my original home on Verlaunde or even here, on Urthe. Then, turbulence came, shaking up their world from outside forces. Strife set in between two neighboring worlds, once welcoming but now a great divide worked between the two. I saw the blonde-haired peoples fighting against one another on their planet and Dragons fighting Dragons on the other planet. It did not take long before each world blamed the other for the sudden chaos each found in their lives.”
“The world you saw, that is where my peoples live?”
“Yes, Kaida. That is the reason the peoples fled your home world and took your mother, to safeguard her against the rebellion. Your birth mother and her guardians at first escaped to the world of Golden Dragons, for they had been friends and they had formed life-long friendships there. They had found safety in the storms of chaos for many months until….”
“Until what, Zelspar? What happened?” Kaida leaned in, absorbing every detail.
“Kaida, the two worlds had once been very accepting of each other but the division in small factions had started taking root. The peoples and Dragons alike began to fear that each were losing their uniqueness, were becoming too ‘blended’ and were afraid of losing what each felt were their true heritages.”
“I don’t understand, why?” she asked.
“Why?” replied Zelspar, shaking his head. “That is a question for Time itself. The short answer is fear. The fear of not being what they once were, the fear of the unknown, the fear of change itself. There are no good answers for this type of battle. It springs up from a rotten well, a well that seeks to wash over each one, bathing them in limiting hearts and minds, promoting a dominating attitude: one of superiority over another.”
“I understand this is hard to grasp, because Kaida, you were raised here but even you saw when you lived with Molakei, the Urthe peoples despised Dragons. They formed their opinions on how other Dragons had treated them. It caused them to hate all Dragons, because of their fear. It is the same on these two worlds. Fear had burrowed deep into them, growing and growing until something snapped.
Kaida’s eyes never ventured away from Zelspar’s face. She absorbed every minute detail; each, a thorn piercing her skin, a burden which had been foretold for her to carry. “What caused the snap?”
An old hand slid over scales, and traveled slowly down to his muzzle. “You must understand Kaida, not all are able to accept change. I will now tell you the answers to your night terror.” The White Dragon took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.
“Your birth mother and father had known each other for many years. When the uprising came to your mother’s world, her guardians took her to the world of the Golden Dragons to seek asylum. They had many long-standing friendships there. It was going well for many months, but then the search for your mother brought trouble to the Dragons’ world.
A lone puff of smoke rose from Zelspar’s throat as he choked out his Vision. “Your birth mother and father were in love. They never hid their love for one another and were often seen flying across the sky. They became Bonded to each other but in a way unknown before. Their very Rivers of Life merged. They became more together than they were as individuals. They were still two, but One.”
A flicker crossed Kaida’s eyes, a recognition validated. She blinked her eyes rapidly to return to what Zelspar was saying.
“It wasn’t long before changes happened. Your birth mother showed signs of … of carrying a child. The uprising from her world had come to the Dragons’ world, complete with accusations of them kidnapping Princess Kiayla. Of course, this was not true, but the seeds of turmoil had been planted. A group of Dragons made their way to the caves where your father’s family had taken in your mother and guardians. They saw your mother in
her advanced stages of pregnancy and became even more enraged. They wanted her gone!”
“They chased her from the enormous arched structures in which they made their lairs and pursued her relentlessly across the jagged terrain beyond dwelling spaces. Your father chased after them, and his family joined in. They fought against their past friends to defend your mother. A Golden Dragon, full of rage swooped down and was ready to char her in his flames. Another Dragon cut him off so she could escape. The fire-breath killed the Dragon. It is thought to have been your father.”
Kaida’s soul quaked and her lips trembled. She tightly squeezed her eyes shut and forced the pools of water to cascade down her bronzed face.
Soft-voiced, Zelspar continued. “The horde of Dragons suddenly halted in their pursuit. Never before had a Dragon killed a Dragon. Not on their World. Killing was reserved only in finding food. Roars of agony ripped wide rifts into the air. While the Dragons gathered around the charred remains of the slain one, your mother had found a portal and disappeared. Her guardians escaped also, but did not find the same portal. Life had been irrevocably altered not only by the killing of one Dragon by another, but in the Bonding of a Dragon to a peoples … and now that woman was with child. This was too many hard changes that none could or would accept.”
It tore at Zelspar’s soul to watch Kaida hear his words. The little Dragon that knew nothing of hate, who loved all, unreservedly. She had slumped against her staff, the weight of hearing her beginning, threatened to knock her over.
White-knuckled, she pulled herself upright against her staff. Her arms swiped across her face, wiping away the tears. Reddened eyes met Zelspar’s, her face now drained of color. She croaked out, “Train me hard.” Then, through a clenched jaw, added, “I’ve a battle ahead.”
Nodding slowly, Zelspar turned and they made their way to the training grounds.
Chapter 36
Flegmorr moved a gnarled hand through the air exposing a near invisible twinkle of magic along the path ahead. A curl of his lips shaped a smirk. “They passed this way. For a so-called ‘Master Magician,’ he should have banished his trail of Magic. An error of a novice!”
The Flaptail squirmed across his back, his nose flaring but the scent of the Magician’s matted hair abolished all other scents. Clicks chimed close to Flegmorr’s hat, an affirmation to his Master followed by the droning sound of “yessss … find himz.”
“A simple task, Glik. The thought of revenge emblazons my soul and he cannot escape what Magic I wield. His weak conjuring will be no match for the true Magic I possess. His time is over.”
“Hiszzz friendszz….”
“They had better stay away or I will finish them off, as well!”
“Dragonszz?”
“So? Nothing but large bags of flimsy flames. I can out do them with fire. I have the Flames of Nether, filled with the writhings of confined souls. There is no match to my Magic as they will soon see.” Strengthened by his own thoughts of revenge and superior ability, he marched on, following the trail of Magic.
Sigrunn and Tyrianua climbed over tumbled boulders, leaving a trail which lingered in the air, miles ahead of Flegmorr.
“That way,” suggested Tyrianua, “through the caves. They wind through the mountain and should open out the other side. We’ll gather dried wood from the Pyce tree and set a fire pit inside. The smoke from it will deepen the deception and show that Perthorn had rested inside.”
A nod from Sigrunn and they trotted towards the entrance, collecting the broken branches along the way.
The heat of the day bore down on the travelers as they climbed the tumble of rocks the quakes had thrown down the mountain. Flegmorr paused to remove his hat, swiping a dirty arm across his brow, soaking the edge of the wide sleeved robe he wore. He gazed upward, finding the trail as it disappeared into a cave.
A bruised and battered hand raised and pointed. “Up there. The trails leads into a cave. Either they are in the place in which they will die or we will rest inside and follow their trail after the sun moves lower in the sky.” At that moment, Flegmorr wished for the latter as the arduous journey over the rock slides had taken its toll.
A scurrying beetle, splendid in its red markings, darted under a rock. Flegmorr quickly tossed the rock aside, snatched up the wriggling bug and popped it into his mouth, savoring the crunch of its shell as the twitching legs succumbed to the pounding of teeth. Extracting a leg caught between his teeth, Flegmorr cast it aside and made his way to the cave.
Charred remains of a fire permeated the air inside. It took Flegmorr no more than ten strides to locate the fire pit. He snickered, “They were here,” he said pointing down the remains in the fire pit. Shaking his head he scoffed, “Foolish oafs!”
With a shake of his dusty, sweat marked hat, Flegmorr sat down, inspecting the fire pit. “The stones are still warm. They will be close enough to find. A brief rest and we will have them.” In the subdued light of the cave, a gleam of anticipation glowed in his eyes.
Glik flapped up to the ceiling and clung to the rocks overhead, his long tail gently rattling until he found slumber. With the smoke still wafting through the cave, both travelers breathed in its fumes, causing a heavy sleep to entrap them.
A distant howl rung into the air. Tyrianua turned towards Sigrunn, “Overconfidence in the self will always turn the tides.”
Sigrunn replied, “Yes, but in our favor.” Both wolves trotted down the back side of the mountain, streaming behind them the trail of Magic to follow their ruse. Their yips faded as the distance from the cave network grew, leaving behind them the Magician and his foul friend, snared in the clutches of a sleep that would keep them immobile for several days.
Miles away, two howls entwined, as the wolves picked a treacherous path to leave for their followers.
Chapter 37
Fireballs of green and red exploded on the far wall of the training rooms.
“Impressive, besides the fire, does your Magic in the fireballs do anything other than to burst into flames?” Zelspar curiously asked.
“Thunder and Lightning,” Perthorn retorted, “I would think that would be plenty of damage,” His eyes narrowed and jaws clenched, as he glared at Zelspar.
“Perthorn, my friend, I mean no disrespect. I’m only trying to gauge what other elements you and all of us should add to our arsenal of Magic. Remember, there are no egos at stake between friends, and we are all friends. What is at stake, however is a lunatic aimed to spread his type of Magic, to let it seed and fester in our world and we will do all within our combined powers to stop him.”
“Yes, yes. I see your point. Flegmorr is getting under my skin. I had looked at him as merely a delusional nuisance before but now … after all the talk the wolves brought us, well, I must confess he has wormed his way into me. That alone frustrates the day’s light right out of me.”
“Understood, Perthorn, but now back to what I asked, if you would.”
“Well, no. Our spells of Fire are just that. We create the fireballs to throw at a enemy in times of great danger. The green ones work devastatingly well at close range where the red ones travel a great distance.”
“Do you have Lightning Magic?” Zelspar asked.
“Yes, we do but not as potent as what I’ve seen you do.”
“Then, we will all work with Dragon Magic, agreed?”
Heads nodded and most of the guests were chattering excitedly. Kaida had not joined in and Zlemtec frowned. He moved next to her and tilted his head close, saying “You’ll never have that worry, I will help you with any Dragon Magic.” His eyes flashed their blends of blues, purples and whites and gave her his most splendid of smiles. There was a long pause before Kaida even seemed to notice he had joined her.
“Oh, I’m sorry Zlemtec, I was lost in my thoughts.”
“What is bothering you? I could tell something seemed … different when I saw you talking to Zelspar earlier.”
Kaida batted away a stray tear that had formed and sig
hed.
“I’ve learned about my peoples and my heritage. Zlemtec? Is it wrong of me to wish I never knew? To wish I could go back to just the Kaida raised with Dragons?”
His hand reached over and moved her hair from covering her eyes. His voice urged on with tenderness, “You’ll always be that Kaida. You can tell me anything, I’m not going anywhere.”
A frail smile finally broke the tightness of her concentration. “But you will, be going that is.”
Blinking quickly, trying to assess her comment, he could only stare and wait.
“Zlemtec, do you remember those strange people we talked to on our way home?”
“Of course,” he answered, “I was worried when I saw they had surrounded you. But why worry about them now? We all saw them leave.”
“I found out,” she paused. The words were hard for her to say but she finished by adding, “they are my peoples.”
Zlemtec’s chest expanded, “Look Kaida, those peoples may be as you say, they could be the peoples of your parents, but we are your family!”
“Thank you Zlemtec. That is what is making it so hard. Everyone here is my family. I don’t want to feel torn but I do.”
“Just because you know your peoples now is no reason to feel torn. You are ours. We are yours. That won’t change.”
“It’s not as simple as that. There is more to tell and then you will understand why it is I seem different. It is because I am.”
“Kaida, Zlemtec. Enough talk, we are here to learn. Join us and work with the Dragon Magic. Lightning Fire! Let’s go,” Zelspar said, an edge grating in his words.
After hours of tedious training, all present were able to cast a Lightning Magic. Flimsy at first but after much repetition, it was admirable what had been achieved. True, none could manage the Lightning Magic as well as Zelspar, but he had his Ancestors to thank as well as thousands of years of practice.
Zelspar leaned against his staff and a small smile creased his face. They have learned well. It is difficult to teach Dragon Magic but I am well pleased. Even Molakei and Flower Bird were able to work the Magic. I must thank the Ancestors for helping them, he thought. His eyes wandered up to the ceiling where a thinning of fog had dispersed and smiled as he thought, Yes, I felt your presence and my thanks to you.
The Legend- Revealed Page 17
